It's Still Life

At an Intersection Named After an English King and a Saint
Six Sentence Story: Part #9 Before When

“I have no idea what you’re talking about most of the time, Brigid,” says Pierre.

We’re sitting on the floor, our aching backs resting against the wall, knees disengaged and unlocked, muscles stretched, and so I empty the champagne bottle into our glasses, and I rephrase for Pierre’s benefit.

Some sounds draw my ear to listen, to eavesdrop, like sounds of wind through leaves that recall times Before…

(and Pierre groans as if I’m indulging in slow torture)

… to recall times Before colours had names, before tongues practised mimicry, and before there was a word for Never.

The covers at Arpège increase week on week – we are exhausted at the end of each day, but it’s exhaustion by choice. We are post-coital smoke at the end of each day because we love what we do.

Pierre eyes the bottom of the champagne bottle and says, “Brigid, stop messing with my head,” … and I can but only laugh and suggest, “Let’s finish the night at the Bistro,” and I pull one pink double peony from the vase with the Gatekeeper in mind.

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Previous instalments of this story: Part 1: The Pull Back   Part 2: The Measure of Her    Part 2: The Gatekeeper’s Response  Part 3: The Colour of Walls   Part 4: Tectonic Shifts  Part 5: Out of the Frying Pan  Part 6: How to Break Eggs Part 7: A Moon River  Part 8: Starlight Shines on the Roof  Part 9: Before When

Written for Denise’s Six Sentence Story, include the word double. Some artwork is created using Midjourney AI, and is identified as such in the ALT text or captioned. Images are copyright and not to used without permission, which I willingly give when asked, and when not for commercial use. Imagery and poems/prose ©Misky 2006-2024.